Once
again, the tickets for Riverton City’s father-daughter date night sold out
within a week of availability, but this time Willie Wangberg snagged tickets to
the city’s most popular indoor event.

“I
tried to sign up last year, but it was too full,” the Riverton resident said,
adding that he now sees why tickets go fast. “It looks amazing in here. They
did a really good job.”

Nearly
150 participants, including Willie Wangberg and his daughters,
Ellie, 6, and Claire, 3, paraded into the Sandra N. Lloyd Community Center on Feb. 3 wearing
best dress. The girls were given artificial flower corsages,
and the fathers were given candy corsages before they were whisked away to have
formal pictures taken.

The
participants entered the auditorium, which was filled
with Valentine's decorations. First, the room acted as a restaurant. The
circular tables were dressed with Italian food and pink—pink tablecloths, pink
silverware and pink balloons.

Next,
the room became a dance floor, as city employees cleared the tables and chairs,
and turned the music up. The dance portion of the night included freestyle
dance and line-dance instruction by Riverton Pageant first attendant
Serra Bye
and second attendant Taylor Jones.

First-time
participants and those who have made a tradition of “Just You and I” alike said
they enjoyed the night.

Cameron
Cole, who attended the annual event with his 9-year-old daughter,
Katelyn Cole, for the sixth time, said they keep
coming back because it’s a good way for him to teach his daughter how she
should be treated on dates when she gets older.

Josh
Moore, who recently moved to Riverton, said he signed his three daughters up
for the activity because it sounded like an event they attended in their
previous neighborhood. His 12-year-old daughter, Sydney Moore,
said she loved the environment at the Riverton event.

“I
love how everyone here is like a whole big family,” she said.

Riverton’s
Parks and Public Service director said togetherness is the purpose of the
event.

“Events
like ‘Just You & I – Daddy/Daughter Date Night’ help promote that sense of
community,” she said.

While
most of the event followed the same pattern as years past, this was the first
year Disney princesses attended the eighth-annual, father-daughter tradition.
Teens who were dressed like princesses posed for pictures and danced with the
younger girls.

“It’s
wonderful to be able to be here and try to set a good example for these girls,”
said Charli Denos, who acted like Rapunzel for the night. “They get so excited
when they see us.”

Six-year-old
Ellie Wangberg rushed up to hug Denos and two other teens dressed as Cinderella
and Elsa when they entered the auditorium.

“We
haven’t taken our girls to Disneyland yet, but they saw the princesses here, so
they got a taste of it,” Willie Wangberg said.

And
although she loved the princesses, Ellie Wangberg said they weren’t the best
part of “Just You and I.”